Fan Failure Detection

1. A system, comprising: one or more data processors; and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the one or more data processors, cause the one or more data processors to perform operations including: receiving fan duty information associated with a fan of a computing device having a plurality of fan positions and a chassis indicator light, the fan being installed at one of the plurality of fan positions; determining a safe fan speed associated with the fan using the received fan duty information; receiving a current fan speed associated with the fan; generating a fan safety inference using the current fan speed and the safe fan speed, wherein generating the fan safety inference comprises comparing the current fan speed with the safe fan speed; generating a maintenance warning when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition; and transmitting the maintenance warning to the computing device, wherein the maintenance warning, when received by the computing device, causes the computing device to output a visual indication of the fan position of the computing device in which the fan is installed, and wherein outputting the visual indication includes driving the chassis indicator light using one of a plurality of lighting patterns, wherein the plurality of lighting patterns includes a unique lighting pattern for each of the plurality of fan positions, and wherein the one of the plurality of lighting patterns is associated with the fan position in which the fan is installed.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fan safety inference is indicative of the unsafe condition when the current fan speed is lower than the safe fan speed.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining the safe fan speed comprises applying the received fan duty information to a lookup table to identify a safe fan speed.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein receiving the fan duty information associated with the fan of the computing device comprises receiving the fan duty information through a network interface.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise taking a mitigation action when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition, wherein taking the mitigation action includes adjusting a fan duty used to drive the fan or an alternate fan of the computing device.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise: taking one or more additional mitigation actions associated with the fan or another fan of the computing device; calculating a total number of mitigation actions taken in association with the computing device, wherein the total number of mitigation actions taken includes the mitigation action and the one or more additional mitigation actions; determining that the total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold; and restricting further mitigation action and issuing a critical warning in response to determining that total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising: receiving fan duty information associated with a fan of a computing device having a plurality of fan positions and a chassis indicator light, the fan being installed at one of the plurality of fan positions; determining a safe fan speed associated with the fan using the received fan duty information; receiving a current fan speed associated with the fan; generating a fan safety inference using the current fan speed and the safe fan speed, wherein generating the fan safety inference comprises comparing the current fan speed with the safe fan speed; generating a maintenance warning when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition; and transmitting the maintenance warning to the computing device, wherein the maintenance warning, when received by the computing device, causes the computing device to output a visual indication of the fan position of the computing device in which the fan is installed, and wherein outputting the visual indication includes driving the chassis indicator light using one of a plurality of lighting patterns, wherein the plurality of lighting patterns includes a unique lighting pattern for each of the plurality of fan positions, and wherein the one of the plurality of lighting patterns is associated with the fan position in which the fan is installed.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the fan safety inference is indicative of the unsafe condition when the current fan speed is lower than the safe fan speed.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the safe fan speed comprises applying the received fan duty information to a lookup table to identify a safe fan speed.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving the fan duty information associated with the fan of the computing device comprises receiving the fan duty information through a network interface.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising taking a mitigation action when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition, wherein taking the mitigation action includes adjusting a fan duty used to drive the fan or an alternate fan of the computing device.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising: taking one or more additional mitigation actions associated with the fan or another fan of the computing device; calculating a total number of mitigation actions taken in association with the computing device, wherein the total number of mitigation actions taken includes the mitigation action and the one or more additional mitigation actions; determining that the total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold; and restricting further mitigation action and issuing a critical warning in response to determining that total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold.

13. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to perform operations including: receiving fan duty information associated with a fan of a computing device having a plurality of fan positions and a chassis indicator light, the fan being installed at one of the plurality of fan positions; determining a safe fan speed associated with the fan using the received fan duty information; receiving a current fan speed associated with the fan; generating a fan safety inference using the current fan speed and the safe fan speed, wherein generating the fan safety inference comprises comparing the current fan speed with the safe fan speed; generating a maintenance warning when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition; and transmitting the maintenance warning to the computing device, wherein the maintenance warning, when received by the computing device, causes the computing device to output a visual indication of the fan position of the computing device in which the fan is installed, and wherein outputting the visual indication includes driving the chassis indicator light using one of a plurality of lighting patterns, wherein the plurality of lighting patterns includes a unique lighting pattern for each of the plurality of fan positions, and wherein the one of the plurality of lighting patterns is associated with the fan position in which the fan is installed.

14. The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the fan safety inference is indicative of the unsafe condition when the current fan speed is lower than the safe fan speed.

15. The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein determining the safe fan speed comprises applying the received fan duty information to a lookup table to identify a safe fan speed.

16. The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein receiving the fan duty information associated with the fan of the computing device comprises receiving the fan duty information through a network interface.

17. The computer-program product of claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise taking a mitigation action when the fan safety inference is indicative of an unsafe condition, wherein taking the mitigation action includes adjusting a fan duty used to drive the fan or an alternate fan of the computing device.

18. The computer-program product of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise: taking one or more additional mitigation actions associated with the fan or another fan of the computing device; calculating a total number of mitigation actions taken in association with the computing device, wherein the total number of mitigation actions taken includes the mitigation action and the one or more additional mitigation actions; determining that the total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold; and restricting further mitigation action and issuing a critical warning in response to determining that total number of mitigation actions exceeds a threshold.